Bloomington staff intended to seek initial City Council reaction and input on the draft Ranked Choice Voting ordinance at the City Council’s Monday, March 1 meeting. No public inputs are expected to be solicited at this meeting.

The staff will then draft the version of the ordinance that will be subject to a public hearing on Monday, March 22. The draft ordinance can be found on pages 302-311 of the March 1 meeting packet. The draft indicates that the language of the ordinance is based on similar ordinances in other Minnesota cities that have adopted ranked choice voting.

The most notable policy issue will be the number of candidates the voter may rank for each office. The draft proposes allowing voters to rank their top three choices for each office. The City Council may direct another threshold during the March 1 meeting, as the number of ranked candidates will impact ballot clarity and ease of use for voters.  It will also have an impact on tabulation procedures and the time it will take to tabulate final results.

In addition to reviewing components of the ordinance and seeking Council feedback, city staff will also share a general overview of plans for voter education and outreach surrounding ranked choice voting during the March 1 meeting.

Bloomington residents concerned about Ranked Choice Voting should plan to be part of the City Council meeting Monday, March 22.